Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) figures for 2016-2017 on specialist homelessness services provide further evidence of the failure of the Turnbull government’s housing and homelessness policies.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Report on Specialist Homelessness Services 2016-17 found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ‘continue to be over-represented in both the national homeless population and as users of specialist homelessness services’.

Latest figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show a further decline in apprentice and trainee numbers, once again highlighting the failure of the Turnbull government to take vocational education seriously.

New Rental Affordability Index figures show that rents for low income households across all metropolitan areas in the nation remain unaffordable. The report, from National Shelter, finds for low income households ‘the situation remains untenable’.

Today’s ANU report on housing has found that simply adding more supply will not address the housing affordability crisis, putting the lie to Malcolm Turnbull’s oft-repeated claim that increasing supply alone will solve the housing crisis.

Labor welcomes new National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) Regulations which provide protections for NRAS investors against a very small number of NRAS approved participants whose suspect business practices are proving costly to investors and threaten the integrity of NRAS.

New research from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) emphasises the need for businesses to invest in training, alongside government support for vocational education and skills.

Further doubt has been cast on the Turnbull Government’s already shaky funding for the Skilling Australians Fund after new research by the Australian Population Research Institute shows a reduction in the number of skilled migration visas – the sole funding stream for the Skilling Australians Fund.

Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge needs to stop hiding behind bureaucrats, apologise to people wrongly targeted and give the public assurances that the bungled robo-debt program will be halted until the government can guarantee its flaws are addressed.

Another day, another excuse from the Turnbull Government on housing affordability. Today’s excuse is that a concessional loan facility for State infrastructure projects will solve the housing affordability crisis.

While Labor welcomes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached between the South Australian Department of State Development and the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) to ensure apprentices aren’t subjected to wage rip-offs, ad hoc MOUs are no substitute for concerted Federal government action to prevent exploitation of vulnerable, young apprentices.

Malcolm Turnbull has dealt another cruel blow to young Australian first home buyers who might have been hoping that the Federal Government would take some action to help them get into the housing market.

Treasury officials appearing at Senate Estimates have been unable to allay fears that $1.3 billion a year in funding under the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) is under threat in the May budget.

After saying ten days ago that the Turnbull Government would dump the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA), putting its $250 million homelessness funding component under threat, Treasurer Scott Morrison has had to beat a hasty retreat.

The Turnbull Government, after a long period of indecision, must restore cuts and extend funding for the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) at tomorrow’s COAG meeting. NPAH is due to expire in June 2017.

An Australian Housing and Urban Research Unit (AHURI) research paper has found that homelessness services cannot meet current demand, and that future funding certainty is crucial if they are to continue providing services.

Today’s annual meeting of Federal and State Housing Ministers in Sydney adds to the record of failure of the Turnbull government in tackling Australia’s housing affordability crisis and a growing homelessness epidemic.